Our market has a diverse, good and popular range of market stalls.

So I am dismayed to read that Northampton Borough Council is proposing to further reduce the number of market stalls on the Market Square to provide more space for entertainment.

A market is, by definition, "where persons trade, and goods and services are exchanged, forming part of the economy".

The Market Square is primarily a place for traders to carry out their business.

There needs to be more encouragement for people to use not only the market, but also our town centre shops.

The fewer the number of stalls, the more it will discourage both shoppers, and prospective stallholders.

The special markets held before Christmas are a good example of the positive benefits of having more, and different, stalls, as they encourage extra trade and are very popular.

I am wholeheartedly in favour of there being public entertainment in Northampton, but there are many other open public spaces where this can happen.

Let us use these places for entertainment and keep the Market Square as a thriving open market and not lose a tradition dating back 773 years.
Mrs Annie Judd,
Derby Road, Northampton.

Does he have an ulterior motive?
The recent purchase of a piece of land at Kingsthorpe raises important questions.

Councillor Choudary, having purported to represent an "anonymous businessman" in the purchase, is now reported to have decided not to sell the land to a concerned group known as NN2 Residents Association.

The reasons for this group's hard work to raise enough money to be able to buy the land are well known and laudable.

Their aim was to secure the land as a public nature reserve for all people of Northampton and beyond, not just for Kingsthorpe residents.

Councillor Choudary, having already outbid the NN2 group at auction, makes a similar claim but his intentions are not clear and should be carefully monitored.

If he has any covert plan to build on this natural flood-plain, it should be strongly resisted and rejected at the planning stage.

Councillor Choudary claims he is prepared to listen to ideas about the future of the land. We would have thought NN2 residents had good enough reason.

Will he be prepared to turn the land over for exactly the same purpose as already envisioned by NN2, or is he engaged in this venture for other reasons?

The altruistic people of Northampton, for whom this is an important issue, need to know if his "fair and square" purchase hides an ulterior motive.

His actions so far have only served to antagonise a large section of Northampton people. A fair and square answer is required.
Pauline Perryman and Keith Perryman,
The Rise, Northampton.

Update on four developments
I am sure that the many hundreds of residents who have written to the council, concerned at the proposed disposal of the "surplus" sports pitches at Parklands Middle School, development by playfootball of the facilities at Thomas Becket school, link up of Parklands and the new housing estate off Talavera Way, and link road between Spinney Hill Road and Fulford Drive, would welcome an update on the current status of these plans.

The Parklands Residents' Association has been monitoring developments and will be holding a public meeting tomorrow at 7pm in the community centre.

All interested residents are welcome to attend.
Brian Cooper,
Chairman,
Parklands Residents' Association, Northampton.

Sponsored walk a great success
On July 13, a group of people including disabled youngsters took part in a sponsored walk to help Northampton Town Multi Disabled Club and I am happy to say we raised £1,042.

I would like to thank all who took part in the walk at the athletic track at Sixfields Stadium and everyone for their generous donations.

So many people contributed, including the players, management and staff at Sixfields, parents and friends of all who took part and everyone who helped.

Many thanks to the photographer who publicised our event and thank you Chronicle & Echo for your interest.

The money raised is for a very special cause. Without the help of the NTMDC, many young disabled people would never know the joy of sport and company of like-minded people.
Sheila M El-Bayati,
Adnitt Road, Northampton.

Victory in fight for free drugs
Cancer patients will have the burden of prescription charges lifted from them soon, thanks to campaigning from Macmillan Cancer Support and your readers.

At the Labour Party Conference on September 22, the Prime Minister announced that as from next year there will be free prescriptions in England for cancer patients and those with long term conditions.

Macmillan has campaigned for a fairer deal on prescription charges for cancer patients since 2005, and is absolutely delighted the Government has listened to us.

Cancer patients in England have been struggling to pay these unfair charges for too long and it is great news that they will no longer face this added burden when they are living with the disease.

I would personally like to thank our supporters and your readers who wrote in to back this campaign.

It is a fantastic result for people living with cancer, and must now be implemented quickly and clearly by the Government.
Stephen Richards,
Director for London, Anglia and the South East, Macmillan Cancer Support.

Students should pay to park at uni
On reading the article on parking issues related to Boughton Green near the Park Campus of The University of Northampton, it got me thinking of when my daughters went to university and the cost of it if they wanted to take their cars with them.

In Southampton, the university provided secure car parking near to the halls of residences at a cost of £300 per term, obviously for disabled there were other arrangements.

At Keele University it was £10 a day to take the car to the university lecture areas.

Obviously I can only relate to what faced my daughters and these costs were some years ago, so perhaps The University of Northampton should look to provide secure parking within the Park Campus, at a cost to the student.

This would help the residents and the students and prevent a bad situation getting worse.

The cost could be based on the number of students against the number of spaces but also ensure adequate public transport is in place with safe walking and cycling before introducing this cost, which could give the sums needed to providing the parking space.

People and students then have a choice either to pay the cost of a parking space if they want to bring their car to university or use the other means of transport.

The one thing that should not happen is offering expensive car parking and not providing alternative ways to get around the town.
Mrs Sally Townsend,
Rectory Lane, Milton Malsor.